What is in this leaflet

This leaflet answers some of the common questions people ask about NAROPIN®. It does not contain all the information that is known about NAROPIN.

It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor will have weighed the risks of you using NAROPIN against the benefits they expect it will have for you.

If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

What NAROPIN is for

NAROPIN is a local anaesthetic (an-a-set-ik). It is injected into the body where it makes the nerves unable to pass messages to the brain. Depending on the amount used, NAROPIN will either totally stop pain or will cause a partial loss of feeling.

NAROPIN is used as an anaesthetic to stop the pain of surgery and/or to make childbirth less painful. NAROPIN is also used after surgery to treat post-operative pain.

Your doctor will have explained why you are being treated with NAROPIN and told you what dose you will be given. Follow all directions given to you by your doctor carefully. They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.

Your doctor may prescribe this medicine for another use. Ask your doctor if you want more information.

NAROPIN is not addictive.

Before you are given NAROPIN

When you must not use it

NAROPIN must not be used if:

1. you have any allergies to

any ingredient listed at the end of this leaflet

any other local anaesthetics

2. you have problems controlling your low blood pressure

3. you have inflammation and/or an infection at the site of injection

Before you start to use it

You must tell your doctor if:

1. you have any allergies to other substances

2. you have any of these medical conditions

problems with your blood pressure or circulation

blood poisoning

problems with the clotting of your blood

acidosis, or too much acid in the blood

nerve problems

liver, kidney or heart problems

disease of the brain or spine, including meningitis, polio, cancer or infections.

muscle disease or weakness(e.g. myasthenia gravis)

3. you are pregnant, are breast feeding or intend to breast-feed.

Your doctor will discuss the possible risks and benefits of using NAROPIN during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

It may not be safe for you to be given NAROPIN if you have any of these conditions.

NAROPIN will only be used if the solution is clear, the package is undamaged and the use by (expiry) date marked on the pack has not been passed.

Taking other medicines

You must tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including

medicines that control your heart beat

medicines used to thin the blood, including aspirin

low molecular weight heparin or other medicines used to prevent blood clots

fluvoxamine, a medicine used to treat depression.

enoxacin, a medicine used to treat bacterial infections.

ketoconazole, a medicine used to treat fungal infections

cimetidine, a medicine used to treat stomach ulcers or heartburn

medicines for depression

medicines that you buy at the pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.

These medicines may affect the way NAROPIN works.

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what to do if you are taking any of these medicines.

If you have not told your doctor about any of these things, tell them before you are given any NAROPIN.

Using NAROPIN

How it will be given

NAROPIN will be injected by your doctor into the skin, near a single nerve, or into an area which contains a large number of nerves. Naropin may also be directed into a surgical incision after surgery by a tube.

This will result in an area of numbness at or near the site of administration, or in an area that may seem unrelated to the site of administration. The latter will be the case if you are given an EPIDURAL injection (an injection around the spinal cord).

NAROPIN should not be injected directly into the blood.

The dosage you will be given will depend on your body size, age and the type of pain relief required. Your doctor will have had a lot of experience using NAROPIN or other local anaesthetics and will choose the best dose for you. They will be willing to discuss this decision with you.

Overdose

The doctor giving you NAROPIN will be experienced in the use of local anaesthetics, so it unlikely that you will be given too much.

However, if you are particularly sensitive to NAROPIN, or the dose is accidentally injected directly into your blood, you may develop problems with your sight, hearing, and get a numb feeling in or around the mouth, feel dizzy or stiff, or have twitchy muscles.

In rare cases, these effects may be followed by drowsiness and fits. In extreme cases you may have problems with your breathing or your heart and you may become unconscious.

While you are being given it

Things to be careful of

Be careful driving or operating machinery after you have been given NAROPIN. You may be drowsy and your reflexes may be slow.

Do not drink alcohol while you are being given NAROPIN. If you drink alcohol while you are being given NAROPIN your blood pressure may drop making you feel dizzy and faint.

Please talk to your doctor or pharmacist about these possibilities if you think they may bother you.

Side effects

Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking NAROPIN.

NAROPIN will help relieve pain in most people, but it may have unwanted side-effects. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not.

You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.

Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:

nausea (feeling sick)

vomiting

headache

dizziness v

irregular or slow heart beat

fever

a tingling feeling ("pins and needles")

shivering

difficulty passing urine

These are all mild side effects of NAROPIN.

Tell your doctor or a nurse immediately if you notice any of the following:

stiff or twitching muscles

painful joints

difficulty breathing

extreme dizziness

slow heart beat

pain in the chest

fits

On rare occasions you may lose consciousness.

These are all serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention.

Serious side effects are rare.

Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell.

Some people may get other side effects while taking NAROPIN.

After using it

Storage

NAROPIN will be stored by your doctor or pharmacist under the recommended storage conditions.

It should be kept in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.

Disposal

Any NAROPIN which is not used, and which is left in the container, will be disposed of in a safe manner by your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Product description

NAROPIN is a clear colourless solution for injection or infusion.

The active ingredient is ropivacaine hydrochloride, plussodium chloride hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide for pH adjustment water for injections.